Bin divider



arch 14, 1967 A. T. PISTONE 3,308,964

BIN DIVIDER Filed Dec. 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E N O T s P T A BINDIVIDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1964 INVENTOR. ALFRED T. PISTONEUnited States Patent Office 3,308,964 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,308,964BIN DIVIDER Alfred T. Pistone, 3785 Grafton Road, Brunswick, Ohio 44212Filed Dec. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 419,020 9 Claims. (Cl. 211184) Thisinvention relates to storage bins for automotive parts and the like andmore particularly to a novel and improved divider for delineating oneside of each of two adjacent storage compartments.

In the storage of such things as parts for the manufacturer and/orrepair of many kinds of equipments, it is now conventional to use metalstorage bins. The typical metal storage bin may have a back, verticalside risers spaced about three feet apart and perhaps one foot in depth,and a series of vertically spaced shelves. It is also conventional toequip such shelves with removable dividers which form partitions thatseparate the shelf into two or more compartments.

In the storage bin of this invention, the shelf is equipped with anelongated label holder which extends substantially completely across thefront of each shelf. This label holder is a channel, open at the front,into which identifying indicia may be inserted to identify the parts ina given compartment by appropriate information such as the name of thepart and the part number or size. Due to the novel construction of thedivider which will be described presently, the shelf, unlike priorshelves with removable dividers, requires no special formation toaccommodate the divider such as holes for receiving locating screws orspecially formed grooves or flanges for receiving and retaining thedivider. With such prior constructions, there is not only the extramanufacturing expense of making such special provisions foraccommodating the divider but in addition some problems are inherentlypresent with any such prior construction. For example, if holes areprovided for adjustably bolting a divider in place, moving the divideris slow and time consuming. Small parts may fall through the holesprovided for adjustably positioning the divider. Where special groovesor the like have been formed for receiving and engaging a portion of thedivider, small parts may become lodged in the grooves and dirt and dustwill collect in the grooves.

With the present invention, these difficulties are overcome and certaininherent advantages are provided including great flexibility andquickness in adjusting the position of the divider. The divider of thisinvention has a vertical wall and a lower horizontally disposed footportion that engages the shelf to provide alignment and stability of thedivider. At the back of the divider, a downwardly extending lip isprovided which engages the back wall of a shelf. At the front of thedivider, a lip extends downwardly over the top of the label holder and atab portion projects backwardly up into the label holder.

With the divider of this invention, the operator simply inserts the tabin the label holder at its top, and then, using the coaction of the taband the label holder as a pivot, brings the divider down until therearward lip slides over the rear of the shelf clamping the divider inplace. For adjustment or removal of the divider, the operator merelyreverses this operation by lifting the rearward portion of the dividerupwardly until the rearward lip is out of engagement with the shelf andthen removing the divider.

This divider in combination with a smooth shelf having a continuouslabel holder across the front of it is infinitely adjustable throughoutthe length of the shelf. Any desired number of dividers may be used withany shelf to provide as many or as few compartments per shelf as may beappropriate. In addition, since no special formation of the shelf isrequired to accommodate the divider, the shelf is constructed so that itis either a smooth shelf or invertable to provide a substantiallyimperforate tray for small parts and the like.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of avertically adjustable divider. In the preferred and disclosed form, theadjustable divider has a base section which clips on the shelf in amanner which has been described above. A top section of the dividerengages the base section. This top section has 'spaced verticallydisposed walls and a connecting top part. The adjustable top section isconstructed of sufliciently resilient material that the inherentresiliency of the top part and its spaced side walls will yieldablyengage the vertical wall of the base. Thus, the top section of thepartition may be vertically adjustable to any desired position and itwill remain there due to its inherent resiliency and frictionalengagement of the base.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of an opening in thepartition for the receipt and storage of a data bearing card or thelike. In the preferred and disclosed arrangement, a pocket is formed inone of the walls of the top section so that the deformation in the wallwhich provides the pocket and the vertical wall of the base of thedivider coact to define an elongated recess in which punch cards orother data bearing devices may be stored. The purpose of this storage isto facilitate maintaining accurate inventory information.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide a novel andimproved storage bin construction including a novel and improved dividertherefor.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the improved dividerof this invention clipped to the invertable shelf of the invention witha phantom showing representing'either an adjusted position of thepictured divider or a second divider;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the divider 01 FIGURE 1 on anenlarged scale showing the shelf in side elevation with parts brokenaway;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, on the side of FIGURE 2, of the divider asseen from the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 with a quantity of data bearing cardsin the storage pocket; I

FIGURE 4 is a slightly modified version of the divider shown in sideelevation and on the scale of FIGURE 2 with the shelf shown in section;and,

FIGURE 5 is a further modification on a reduced scale. Referring now tothe drawings, a storage bin is shown generally at 10. The bin has spacedvertically disposed partition walls, one of which is shown at 12 and aback wall 13. The partition walls 12 are equipped with notches orthelike 14 for receiving and supporting a selected number of shelves 15.The shelves 15 each include end support flanges 17 which projectselectively into the desired ones of the notches 14 to support the shelfin a selected vertically adjusted position. The flanges are constructedsuch that the shelf may be inverted to form a tray as shown in FIGURE 5.

Each shelf has a label holder 18 front thereof.

extending across the The label holder has upper and lower longitudinallyextending lips 19 which each extend throughout the length of the shelf.The lips slant toward one another to engage and hold identifying labels.

Each shelf preferably has front, rear, and side vertically disposedflanges 2t), 21, 22, 23 forming, when the shelf is used as a shelf, areinforcing portion extending around a 90bend formed at 26 at the baseof the vertical wall 25..

A foot portion 27 is provided which'is, when-the divider is in use,horizontal and which is normal to the wall 25. ,The foot" portion 27extends the depth of and engages the shelf 15; Front and rear lips 29,30 are pro.- vided at the forward and back of the foot 27. In theembodiments of FIGURES 1-4, the lips depend from the foot 27. The frontlip 29 angles slightly forwardly overlying the'label holder 18. A tab 31is provided at the end of the front lip 29. The tab 31 isbent-rearwardly to engage the top one of the lips 19 of the label holder18. The rearward leg 30'is vertical being substantially normal to thefoot 27; The rearward leg30 frictionally engages the rear verticalflange 21' of the shelf15.

In certain circumstances the divider thus far described I will betheentire divider. It'has the advantages over the priorart'of arelatively simple means of connection and infinite selectionlongitudinally of the shelf'of the position in which it may reside. Oninstallation of the divider, one merely extends the tab 31 under the,upper'one of. the lips 19 to provide a pivot. The rearward, end of thepartition is then brought down until the lip 30 frictionally engages therearward vertical flange '21 and theifoot 27 is.

in abutment with the surface of the shelf.

One of the outstanding advantages of the invention resides in theprovision of a'divider which is vertically adjustable. The verticaladjustability is obtainedthrough the. provision of a top divider section35 which is generally in the shape .of an inverted U. The top section 35has a toppart 36 from which spaced walls 37, 38 depend.

The walls 37, 38, due to theinherent resiliency of the top part 35,frictionally embrace the ,=opposite sides of the vertical wall 25 of thedivider 24.

Thus, in the preferred'adjustable arrangement, thedivider 24 becomes abase for the entire divider and will be.

referred to hereafter as the divider base.

While theusual adjustment will be to raise the rearward portion of thetop section 35 relatively to the dividerbase 24, it will be apparentthatthe divider part can be sub.- stantially infinitely adjusted to anyselected position so long as sufficient parts of the walls; 37, 38engage thevertical wall 25 to provide the friction to maintain anadjusted position. Obviously set screws, magnets, or other means couldbeprovided to assist in maintaining the top may bereplaced by a chamfer at44 for ready access to the cards 41.

The divider wall 25 is chamfered at 45 to provide ready access to storedparts. The chamfer 44, in addition to facilitating card access, alsofacilitates access to the storage compartments.

In the embodiment of FIGURES the wall 25' is slightly smaller indepththan the distance between the front and rear shelf flanges 20, 21.The rearwardlip 30' extends upwardly engaging the inner surface of therear flange 21. The front lip 29 is spaced above the foot 27 andconnected to it by'a lip extension 50. Thus, by. very slightmodification of the divider 24 a tray divider 24" is ;provided.

In-the slightly modified, version of FIGURE 4, the notch 43 issupplanted and Although-the invention has beendescribed. in itspreferred form with a certain. degree of particularly it is understoodthat the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only byway of example and that numerouschanges in the details of constructionandv the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from thespirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed. I

What is claimed is; V

1. In a storage bin, the combination of:

(a) .a shelf having a front and back, a label holder near the. frontofthe shelf, the label holder having a top lip;

(-b) a divider including a wall portion for vertical disposition whenthe'shelf is horizontal; I

(c). said divider including; forward andrearwardlips extending from thewall portion; and,

((1) said forwarddivider lip extending over the top lip of the labelholder and including a tab portion pro-, jecting under said label holderlip to, interlock" the divider: and shelf, and said rearward'lipfrictionally engaging theback of the shelf and maintaining the a label.holder. at" the front: thereof, the labelholder; having a top and.bottom lip angled toward, one:

another;

(b) adivider including a wallportion for vertical dis-- position whenthe member surface is horizontal and a foot portion engaging the member.surface;

(0) said divider including forward. and rearward lips.

extendingf-rorn the wall portion; and,

(d) said forward dividerlip extending over: the top lip of the label.holder. and including a tab portion projecting under said label holder.lip. to:interloick the divider and the member, and said rearwardlip.engaging the back of the member and maintainingthe divider positioned ontherncmber.

5. In combination with a storage bin havinga ventically disposed shelf,a divider comprising:

(a) meansconnect'mg the divider to the shelf;

(b) a vertically disposed wall extending upwardlyfrom said means toseparate the shelf into. a plurality of compartments; and,

(c) a member connected to said wall and including a vertically disposedportion spaced from the wall, said portion having a distance. betweenthe portion and the wall todefine a card-receiving pocket forthe receiptand storage of cards or the like.

6. In astorage bin including a horizontally disposed:

shelf, a divider assembly comprising:

(a) a base portion removablyconnected' to the: shelf,

and including abase wail extending vertically up wardly from saidshelf;'

(b) a top section having a vertically disposed wall substantiallyabutting said base wall and projecting upwardly therefrom; V (c) saidtop section including spaced-apart wall portions in frictionalengagement'with the opposite sides of said base wall to maintain saidtop section wall.

in a selected and adjusted position relative-:tosaid base wall.

7. In a storage bin including a horizontally disposed shelf, a dividerassembly comprising:

(a) a. base portion removably connected to. the; shelf,

and including a base Wall extending vertically upwardly from said shelf;

(b) a top section having a vertically disposed Wall substantiallyabutting said base wall and projecting upwardly therefrom;

(c) said top sec-tion including spaced-apart top section wall portionsin frictional engagement with the opposite sides of said base wall tomaintain said top sectional wall in a selected and adjusted positionrelative to the base wall; and,

(d) one of said spaced-apart top section wall portions including adeformed section projecting outwardly and spaced from said base wallsuch that the de formed section and the base wall together define thesides of a card receiving pocket.

8. A divider assembly for dividing a shelf into a plurality ofcompartments comprising the combination of:

(a) a base support having a bottom surface adapted to be placed inintimate contact with a first surface of said shelf and having first andsecond edges;

(b) said first and second edges of said base support each having a lipextending beyond said bottom surface of said base support to becontiguous with the edges of said shelf;

(0) one of said lips including a tab portion adapted to project adjacentto and parallel with a second surface of said shelf to interlock saidbase support to said shelf;

(d) a first wall member mounted onto said base support and extendingorthogonally from the top side of said base support between said firstand second edges; and,

(e) a second wall member extending orthogonally in a direction away fromthe top surface of said base support between said first and secondedges;

(f) one of said wall members including two parallel portions engagingthe other of said wall members to maintain said second Wall member in aselected position relative to said base support.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which one of said wall members includesa deformed section projecting outwardly and spaced from said other wallmember such that the deformed section and the other Wall member togetherdefine the sides of a bin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,688,003 10/1928Darby 2lll84 X 1,736,574 11/1929 Binks 2l1-ll 2,697,631 12/1954 Miller248-361 X 2,884,139 4/1959 Dunham 2lll84 FOREIGN PATENTS 826,073 12/1959Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

R. P. SEITIER, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A STORAGE BIN, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A SHELF HAVING A FRONT ANDBACK, A LABEL HOLDER NEAR THE FRONT OF THE SHELF, THE LABEL HOLDERHAVING A TOP LIP; (B) A DIVIDER INCLUDING A WALL PORTION FOR VERTICALDISPOSITION WHEN THE SHELF IS HORIZONTAL; (C) SAID DIVIDER INCLUDINGFORWARD AND REARWARD LIPS EXTENDING FROM THE WALL PORTION; AND (D) SAIDFORWARD DIVIDER LIP EXTENDING OVER THE TOP LIP OF THE LABEL HOLDER ANDINCLUDING A TAB PORTION PROJECTING UNDER SAID LABEL HOLDER LIP TOINTERLOCK THE DIVIDER AND SHELF, AND SAID REARWARD LIP FRICTIONALLYENGAGING THE BACK OF THE SHELF AND MAINTAINING THE DIVIDER POSITIONED ONTHE SHELF.